Literature survey on biomedical applications of thermography

Thermography is a noninvasive technique through which temperatures are monitored and recorded, thereby allowing visualization of heat flow. There are three types of thermography: liquid crystal thermography (LCT), infrared thermography (IRT) and microwave thermography (MWT). This paper presents a survey of the literature pertinent to the biomedical applications of these types of thermography. The noninvasive and high resolution characteristics of the thermographic systems make them valuable diagnostic as well as therapeutic aids. Typical research areas include detection of blood flow, diagnosis of joint inflammation and cancer, thermal modeling of various body parts, and use in reproductive problems. The survey discloses that thermography has found applications in various fields in medicine, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry.